Hearing Asagiri Utsunomiya's words, Miwa Ashikaga was silent for a few seconds, then released her hand, letting the black gun fall onto the wooden floor, and then said indifferently.
"Yes, I lost."
At this moment, Megumi Kato and Asuna Yuuki, who were not far away, looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya standing there, and their feelings couldn't help but become a little complicated.
Rubber bullets only use rubber for the bullet head, so they won't penetrate the human body like real bullets. However, the basic structure of the bullet and the speed at which it is fired are no different from real bullets. If hit at close range, there is still a risk of injury or even death.
And just now... Asagiri Utsunomiya was hit by a rubber bullet from a gun at a close range of less than ten meters, but his movements didn't stop at all, as if he felt no pain whatsoever.
Could this still be... called a human?
"You did very well just now."
Miwa Ashikaga took two steps back, picked up the black handgun from the ground, turned the safety back on, and looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya, then spoke in a calm tone.
"When facing an enemy holding a gun, you cannot blindly charge forward, as that will only result in being hit in vital areas by bullets and losing combat ability directly. However, similarly, you cannot panic and dodge due to excessive fear, as the faster you approach, the less time the enemy has to aim and shoot. Predicting the bullet's trajectory, trying to ensure vital areas are not hit, and approaching the opponent as quickly as possible is indeed the most correct choice. It's just..."
Miwa Ashikaga raised her hand and adjusted her glasses, looking directly into Asagiri Utsunomiya's eyes, and then slowly spoke.
"From your reaction, you seem to be no stranger to the pain of being hit by a bullet, and even when being aimed at by a gun, you showed no fear or panic. Have you... had similar experiences before?"
"Of course."
Asagiri Utsunomiya replied with a carefree smile, "Let alone being hit by a bullet, I've even been shot and killed by an automatic rifle once."
Miwa Ashikaga sighed slightly, her tone a little helpless.
"Shot and killed once? Then is the one talking to me now a spirit? Forget it, it doesn't matter if you don't want to talk about it, let's continue the special training."
What Miwa Ashikaga didn't know was that Asagiri Utsunomiya wasn't joking with her, but telling the truth.
A Persona is a projection of the inner strength that is connected to the user's will.
In the previous dungeon, Hitoshura was shot and killed by that Blackwatch squad with automatic rifles. In a sense, Asagiri Utsunomiya, as the Persona user, indeed felt as if he himself had been shot and eliminated through Hitoshura.
"Then next, it's the second special training."
Miwa Ashikaga placed the gun aside and picked up the camouflage-painted automatic rifle instead, then looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya and spoke noncommittally.
"Although I personally feel that compared to the special training we just did, this special training is meaningless and just pure torture for you, but since it's your own request, I won't say anything more."
Asagiri Utsunomiya stepped back a distance, standing about twenty meters away from Miwa Ashikaga again, then slightly bent down and replied with a smile.
"Getting used to this kind of torture is where the meaning lies."
"Ah, high school students nowadays, their chuunibyou fantasies are really serious..."
Looking at Asagiri Utsunomiya approaching her with astonishing speed, Miwa Ashikaga raised the automatic rifle in her hand, aimed the muzzle at the other party, and then pulled the trigger without hesitation.
This time, Asagiri Utsunomiya didn't dodge or evade at all. After all, with a rapid-fire weapon like an automatic rifle, at this distance, it's almost impossible to predict the bullet's trajectory and dodge like he did just now. He just raised his arms to protect his face and heart, then endured the bullets fired from the automatic rifle, and in the shocked gaze of Megumi Kato and Asuna Yuuki, he approached Miwa Ashikaga step by step.
◆◇◈◇◆
Two hours later.
While cleaning the dojo, which was covered in rubber bullet debris, Miwa Ashikaga looked at Asuna Yuuki, Megumi Kato, and Asagiri Utsunomiya, who had changed into clean clothes and were preparing to leave, and asked in a calm tone.
"Utsunomiya, have you considered becoming a fighter?"
"Fighter?"
Asagiri Utsunomiya put on his jacket, as the early spring nights were still a bit chilly.
"So-called fighters, aren't they just the beasts in the gladiator matches held by those big conglomerates for entertainment, raised with money? I'm not interested."
Miwa Ashikaga nodded and said indifferently, "That's right."
After leaving the dojo, Megumi Kato nodded to Asagiri Utsunomiya and Asuna Yuuki and said politely in a soft voice.
"Thank you for bringing me along for special training today. I'll head back now."
"I told you, no need to be so polite, Kato-san," Asuna Yuuki waved her hand and said with a smile. "Then the next time we have special training, I'll contact you in advance."
"Okay."
Watching Megumi Kato turn and leave, her figure gradually disappearing from view, the sweet smile on Asuna Yuuki's face gradually disappeared. When she turned to look at Asagiri Utsunomiya, her eyes were filled with deep worry and concern, wanting to reach out and touch Asagiri Utsunomiya's shoulder, but her slender fingertips, like her voice, were trembling.
"Are... are you okay?"
"What's with that expression?"
Seeing Asuna Yuuki's worried and slightly sad look, Asagiri Utsunomiya reached out and stroked her long hair, teasing with a smile.
"Just looking at you like that, I thought I was dead and you became a widow. It's just special training, of course I'm still fine..."
"You're lying."
Asuna Yuuki interrupted softly, then reached out and held Asagiri Utsunomiya's wrist, using her other hand to gently pull up his sleeve. What she saw was the bruised and purple marks on Asagiri Utsunomiya's arm.
Then she raised her head, looked directly at Asagiri Utsunomiya's face, her eyes trembling, looking very beautiful under the dim streetlights.
"Even with your current physical condition, enduring rubber bullets won't cause severe injuries, but it will cause bruises like this, and... it must hurt a lot..."
"It doesn't matter." Asagiri Utsunomiya shook his head nonchalantly, replying in a light tone. "As my physical ability improves and the resistance brought by Hitoshura's Characteristics increases, it won't be long before I have the defense to withstand bullets head-on. So, the sooner I get used to the feeling of being hit by bullets through special training, the more effective it will be when I face those Blackwatch people again next time."
Hearing this, Asuna Yuuki pursed her lips, her eyes looking a little dim, and the hand holding his sleeve couldn't help but tighten a little.
"You're already thinking about the future and enduring such pain for special training, but I..."
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush yet." Asagiri Utsunomiya didn't give Asuna Yuuki a chance to wallow in self-pity and directly interrupted her.
"You can't think you're useless. In the novice dungeon, you helped me figure out the hidden rules of this game. In the second dungeon, although I was delaying the Specter of the Drowned Corpse, you were the one who eliminated its real body. If I were alone, I wouldn't have been able to do it. And in the last dungeon, you were the one clearing out the Ordinary Infected and Special Infected, giving me ample time to recover my stamina and finally killing five Blackwatch operatives. How can you call that useless?"
Seeing that Asagiri Utsunomiya had predicted what she wanted to say and, without hesitation, listed all of her contributions as a teammate, Asuna Yuuki was a little surprised, a blush appearing on her face, and she said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"So... so you remember even the things I don't remember so clearly..."
"Of course."
Asagiri Utsunomiya said seriously, "As the captain, I definitely have to record the KDA. If your KDA doesn't meet the standard, I'll kick you out~"
Hearing this, Asuna Yuuki wasn't angry, but just couldn't help but laugh. Then she said, "So you're such a heartless person, *Sigh!*, it's really like when the cunning rabbit is dead, the running dogs are cooked."
"Oh, so you're a running dog."
Asuna Yuuki was choked and stunned for a moment, then said angrily.
"You're the running dog!"
Soon after, Asuna Yuuki seemed to have thought of something. A shy blush appeared on her face, and she bravely raised her head and looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya and slowly said, "Last time, in the last dungeon... the thing I promised you... why, why didn't you ask me? Did, did you forget?"
What Asuna Yuuki was referring to was what she had told Asagiri Utsunomiya before leaving the dungeon last time: if he returned safely, she would kiss him somewhere other than his cheek.
"Forget? How could I forget that," Asagiri Utsunomiya first replied with a smile, then said very seriously, "But, if I were to bring up something like that, it would be like blackmailing you, which is a bit much, unnecessary."
Hearing this, Asuna Yuuki raised her hand, tucked her long hair behind her ear, and said softly, "Actually... I was quite hoping you would bring it up..."
At this point, Asuna Yuuki suddenly took two steps forward, got closer to Asagiri Utsunomiya, silently closed her eyes, and slightly lifted her lovely and delicate face. Her meaning was already very clear.
"Since that's the case..."
Asagiri Utsunomiya bent down slightly, gently put his arm around Asuna Yuuki's back, feeling her body tremble slightly from nervousness, and kissed Asuna Yuuki's lips.
A few seconds later, they separated.
Asagiri Utsunomiya looked at Asuna Yuuki, whose breathing had become a little uneven, whose face was flushed, and whose eyes were sparkling, and said softly with a smile.
"Then I hope my teammate Violet, from now on, will also stay by my side as my girlfriend, Asuna."